The 2002 fantasy-drama Haibane Renmei is based on a dōjinshi series by Yoshitoshi ABe. It is the story of a world in which angel-like beings known as Haibane walk among humans, as seen through the eyes of a “newborn” Haibane named Rakka. The narrative focuses on Rakka and the inhabitants of Old Home, a boarding house for female Haibane, and the mysterious surrounding town of Glie. From there, Haibane Renmei is a high quality, but slow and often frustrating journey into an intriguing new world.
For the first half of the series, there is not even much of a conflict to speak of, except for Rakka and the viewer not knowing what is going on. Like all Haibane, Rakka appears in this world via a giant cocoon. She emerges as a young woman with the appropriate cognitive abilities but no memory of her past. She is taken in by the Haibane of Old Home who teach her about Glie and its customs, but still know very little about why they are there in the first place. Because of this, Haibane Renmei ropes you in with its deep mystery, but then reveals its answers at a glacial pace that is sure put many viewers to sleep.
Dreams play a large role in the series. Since the angels arrive with no memories, they traditionally derive their names from the dreams they had in their cocoons. For example, “Rakka” means “falling,” because her dream was about falling. The significance of these cocoon dreams is one of the many questions posed early on. Accordingly, the series has a lofty, dreamlike quality to it that is notable in its tone, style, and atmosphere.
The world in Haibane Renmei is more grounded than that of most fantasies. All quirks aside, Glie like any simple 19th century town. The Haibane live almost normal lives with a few exceptions. They drink tea, ride bicycles, and have jobs in town. In fact, a good portion of the show involves following Rakka as she shadows her housemates on their normal daily routines. If not for their hovering halos and flightless wings, it would be difficult to tell what makes the Haibane special or different from humans. Even so, Rakka’s time in this world feels like a dream in that everything is slightly off. The Haibane are bound by many unfamiliar rules, the most conspicuous of which is that they face exile if they tread beyond Glie’s massive walls. The reasons for these customs are part of the web of intrigue that may or may not be enough to maintain viewers, especially because, more often than not, the mystery takes a backseat to the mundane.
Haibane Renmei is unconventional in that it is not particularly focused. As mentioned, it is not driven by conflict. The series almost solely relies on its presentation, which can be quite engrossing and charming. Stylistically, the series can best be described as subtle. The gorgeous backgrounds are painted in muted colors with a subtle green tint that is a tool often used to represent dreams. (Think The Great Gatsby or The Matrix.) The fluidity of the animation and attention to detail is almost feature film-quality. Most impressive is the voice acting, which is tight and believable. Featuring a predominantly female cast, the voice actors of Haibane Renmei avoid making the characters too similar or too stereotypical. This is crucial on a series that spends so much time getting the viewer fully acquainted with each character. The acting is more or less natural, allowing the viewer to suspend disbelief and be captivated by this dream world. It is extremely unfortunate, however, that the weakest link is Rakka herself, voiced by Carrie Savage. You can tell that she was intentionally made to sound innocent and naive, but she honestly sounds like a toddler, and her voice can be grating to listen to over the course of the series.
Haibane Renmei is not a bad anime. It is certainly very interesting, but it makes little attempt to be entertaining. Instead of using the traditional conventions to craft a narrative, the series feels more like a portrait, an introduction to a foreign dream world. Ultimately, deciding whether or not Haibane Renmei is worth watching boils down to personal taste and attention span. A lot of the answers are buried in symbolism, which I would more readily appreciate if the journey to find them did not take so long. Actually, I could do without answers altogether if there was some sort of tangible conflict progressing the story, preferably more imperative than Rakka wanting to move out of the guest room or the children refusing to eat their carrots. My score reflects the fact that I do not have enough time nor patience to watch very little happen for a half hour, but if feel you can sacrifice plot in favor of atmosphere, by all means, give Haibane Renmei a try. You might find yourself pleasantly surprised.
- Patrick Velky
For the first half of the series, there is not even much of a conflict to speak of, except for Rakka and the viewer not knowing what is going on. Like all Haibane, Rakka appears in this world via a giant cocoon. She emerges as a young woman with the appropriate cognitive abilities but no memory of her past. She is taken in by the Haibane of Old Home who teach her about Glie and its customs, but still know very little about why they are there in the first place. Because of this, Haibane Renmei ropes you in with its deep mystery, but then reveals its answers at a glacial pace that is sure put many viewers to sleep.
Dreams play a large role in the series. Since the angels arrive with no memories, they traditionally derive their names from the dreams they had in their cocoons. For example, “Rakka” means “falling,” because her dream was about falling. The significance of these cocoon dreams is one of the many questions posed early on. Accordingly, the series has a lofty, dreamlike quality to it that is notable in its tone, style, and atmosphere.
The world in Haibane Renmei is more grounded than that of most fantasies. All quirks aside, Glie like any simple 19th century town. The Haibane live almost normal lives with a few exceptions. They drink tea, ride bicycles, and have jobs in town. In fact, a good portion of the show involves following Rakka as she shadows her housemates on their normal daily routines. If not for their hovering halos and flightless wings, it would be difficult to tell what makes the Haibane special or different from humans. Even so, Rakka’s time in this world feels like a dream in that everything is slightly off. The Haibane are bound by many unfamiliar rules, the most conspicuous of which is that they face exile if they tread beyond Glie’s massive walls. The reasons for these customs are part of the web of intrigue that may or may not be enough to maintain viewers, especially because, more often than not, the mystery takes a backseat to the mundane.
Haibane Renmei is unconventional in that it is not particularly focused. As mentioned, it is not driven by conflict. The series almost solely relies on its presentation, which can be quite engrossing and charming. Stylistically, the series can best be described as subtle. The gorgeous backgrounds are painted in muted colors with a subtle green tint that is a tool often used to represent dreams. (Think The Great Gatsby or The Matrix.) The fluidity of the animation and attention to detail is almost feature film-quality. Most impressive is the voice acting, which is tight and believable. Featuring a predominantly female cast, the voice actors of Haibane Renmei avoid making the characters too similar or too stereotypical. This is crucial on a series that spends so much time getting the viewer fully acquainted with each character. The acting is more or less natural, allowing the viewer to suspend disbelief and be captivated by this dream world. It is extremely unfortunate, however, that the weakest link is Rakka herself, voiced by Carrie Savage. You can tell that she was intentionally made to sound innocent and naive, but she honestly sounds like a toddler, and her voice can be grating to listen to over the course of the series.
Haibane Renmei is not a bad anime. It is certainly very interesting, but it makes little attempt to be entertaining. Instead of using the traditional conventions to craft a narrative, the series feels more like a portrait, an introduction to a foreign dream world. Ultimately, deciding whether or not Haibane Renmei is worth watching boils down to personal taste and attention span. A lot of the answers are buried in symbolism, which I would more readily appreciate if the journey to find them did not take so long. Actually, I could do without answers altogether if there was some sort of tangible conflict progressing the story, preferably more imperative than Rakka wanting to move out of the guest room or the children refusing to eat their carrots. My score reflects the fact that I do not have enough time nor patience to watch very little happen for a half hour, but if feel you can sacrifice plot in favor of atmosphere, by all means, give Haibane Renmei a try. You might find yourself pleasantly surprised.
- Patrick Velky
